The upper body is considered anything above the waist. Any time you have fat on your stomach, you are at an increased risk for conditions such as Type II diabetes, which can cause blindness, kidney failure and blood vessel damage. According to Dr. Mehmet Oz, your belly fat is what tells if you're at high risk for being a Type II diabetic. If you are male and you want to lose upper body weight, do so with exercise, but remember that you also must follow a healthy diet.
Perform Cardio
The most effective way to lose weight in your arms, back, shoulders, stomach or any other location on your body is through cardiovascular exercise. The repetitive motion of cardio increases your aerobic capacity and burns fat. Since spot reduction can not be done, you will experience fat loss throughout your entire body. That being said, you can increase your efforts by doing full-body cardio. Exercises such as elliptical training, swimming, rowing, versa climbing, jumping rope and kickboxing require the use of your arms and legs simultaneously. The repetitive contractions of your upper body muscles will help to improve definition.
Do Intervals
Interval training is a type of cardio where you alternate back and forth between high and low intensity after starting with a light warm-up. According to MayoClinic.com, the more vigorously you exercise, the more calories you'll burn. Interval training is vigorous, so perform your cardio in an interval format. Make sure to stretch your muscles before and after you exercise to prevent cramps, pulls and strains.
Build Your Muscles
Cardio alone does a good job of reducing fat, but to boost your efforts even more, perform weight training. By building muscle in your upper body, you will not only create a more defined, muscular look, but you will also raise your metabolic rate. According to the University of Michigan Health System, adding three pounds of muscle will burn 630 to 1,050 extra calories per week. To build muscle, perform upper body compound exercises. Unlike isolation exercises, compound exercises work more than one muscle at a time and they involve more than one joint. The end product of compound exercises is a maximal amount of muscle fiber recruitment. Perform exercises such as bench presses, shoulder presses, bent-over rows, dips and twist curls. Also, work your stomach with bicycle crunches, leg raises and crunches.
Work Out Regularly
For you to achieve results with upper body weight loss, you must be willing to work out on a regular basis. This doesn't mean once a week or whenever you feel like it. It means every day of the week and for a long enough duration to experience a benefit. For example, perform your cardio exercise three times a week for 30 to 45 minutes on alternating days. Lift weights three days a week on the alternating days of your cardio. On your day off, go for a light bike ride or moderate intensity walk. Also incorporate more exercise into your daily routine, such as walking during lunch, taking stairs instead of elevators and playing a recreational sport.
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